The Difference Between Good And Bad Fear For Business Success

Business is about people. Without people, there wouldn’t be any business. No employees. No customers. When working with people every day in business, all their experiences, personal and professional, come with them too. That includes the element of fear; both good and bad fear. For success in business, it is essential to understand and recognize the difference.

Fear is an interesting component of daily living. Without fear, humanity would not survive. You may not be as successful as you are in business. We learn fear as children in many different ways.

Remember when your mother told you not to touch the stove because it was hot?

That very first day of school?

Asking someone to the school dance?

What about the first time you may have dived into the deep end of the pool?

Were you fearful or fearless?

Over the course of life, you gather these accumulated fears together to form who you are as a business person. Throughout the course of the business day, consciously or subconsciously, these fears contribute to your business decisions and actions. Sometimes, the fear is unrealistic. It can potentially hold you back from success by not being assertive enough at the right time. Timing is everything in business.

Bad fear debilitates you. Unrealistic fear keeps you from getting to where you want to be.

Good fear inspires you to take calculated risks by thinking through the business situation. Good fear is what keeps you ahead of the competition and to do a better job than others.

Either way, fear keeps you aware. It keeps you focused on your business surroundings. It’s a matter of what you do with that fear inside of you. It can figuratively speaking, paralyze you, or it can push you to move forward. Your choice.

When you’re sitting at your work desk each day with multiple business problems and issues surrounding you, as any level of fear rises up from within yourself, ask:

Why am I uncomfortable?

Am I uncomfortable because there is something really to be afraid or fearful of?

Is the fear unrealistic or realistic? If so, how? How best to handle it?

If you can stop and ask yourself questions like those listed above, you’ll be able to more realistically assess every situation. You’ll find yourself worrying less. Feeling less stressed. You won’t let unrealistic fear overtake you. The fear that propels you to success each day will keep you sharp and alert to achieving your business goals, whatever they may be, large or small.

Once you get past the barrier of fear, and get to the other side of fear, you will understand so much more about yourself, others and business. When a similar situation arises in the future, you’ll recognize the associated familiar feelings of fear and know what to do/not to do. It will make you a more successful business person.

In summary, what really is fear in business?

Fear is about paying attention. Feeling something inside you that something is not quite right. Then paying attention enough to determine what you can do about it and if it really is a problem or not.

Learn how to recognize, acknowledge and separate your fears. When you do, look forward to successful, productive, profitable business days!

To your success!

Howard Lewinter

Howard Lewinter is a business expert – strategist – business advisor to CEOs, presidents and business owners across a wide variety of industries throughout the United States. Follow Howard on Twitter: @HowardLewinter or connect with Howard on LinkedIn. Visit Howard’s website and blog: www.TalkBusinessWithHoward.com. There isn’t anything Howard likes better than to see business people succeed and prosper.